Published Date : Dec 23, 2021 / Edited Date : Apr 08, 2024
Seochon, Artistic Village West of Gyeongbokgung Palace
Tongin-dong and Okin-dong in Seoul are collectively called Seochon (“West Village”) as they are located west of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Seochon is close to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the beopgung* of the Joseon dynasty and consists of low-rise buildings to conserve the cultural significance of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Seochon is characterized by Korean-style architectural elements such as small stores and houses with urban hanok-style tiled roofs and bricks.
Surrounded by the foothills of Inwangsan Mountain and Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seochon has great access to nature and it is also a place where famous artists resided, including Lee Jung-seop, Chun Kyung-ja, Lee Sang, and Yun Dong-ju. Therefore, today the village is full of unique and cute galleries. One of the charms of Seochon is that you can take a stroll, enjoying the artistic and cultural vibes that each small and cute alley brings.
If you want to enjoy both Korean traditions and unique galleries, how about taking a walk along the alleys of Seochon near Gyeongbokgung Palace?
* Beopgung: An official palace of the royal family.
Lights Shining Through the Bricks of a Spacious Building
#Ground_Seesaw_Seochon #Brick_Well
In Seochon, there is a unique structure built by piling up bricks with gaps between one another. The circular jungjeong* inside the raised piloti* features a small garden composed of a pond and trees. Situated in Tongui-dong, Brick Well was built as a company building at first. However, it currently serves as a cultural complex by the name of Ground Seesaw because of its beautiful structure.
* Piloti: An open space that separates a building from the first floor made by leaving only columns and bare walls.
* Jungjeong: A courtyard that is completely or mostly enclosed by the walls of a large building.
Brick Well does not provide a sense of heaviness and solemnity unlike other brick buildings. It was built by dividing cream-colored bricks into three equal parts. Unlike the traditional method of stacking bricks, Brick Well did not use mortar, but used the dry construction method of threading bricks instead. Using its own construction method, Brick Well could build a circular building. Lights shining through the bricks and shadows make the building more special.
Ground Seesaw Seochon
18-8, Jahamun-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
#Brick_Well #Ground_Seesaw_Seochon #SoA #Brick
A Window Gallery that Features Alleys in Seochon
#Artside_Gallery
Artside Gallery blends with the surroundings, but also stands out among other buildings in Seochon. The wooden façade adds beauty to the building and other walls are dark gray in tune with the surrounding hanok roofs. Architect Hwang Du-jin gave a lot of thought to how this gallery can connect with the city, while being located in an alley filled with old buildings.
So, he used a long window for the entrance of the gallery, which faces many people walking on the street to attract their attention to artworks as stores use display windows to attract visitors. In this way, Artside Gallery became a new window structure, which is different from other galleries. You can view artworks in a high ceiling exhibition hall on the basement floor and look outside through a long window on the first floor.
Artside Gallery
15, Jahamun-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Closed Sundays and Mondays/Open Tue-Sat 10:00 - 18:00
On the other side of Artside Gallery is a gray rectangular building. It is Gallery Simon, a gallery with an exterior made entirely of bricks, which creates a sense of simplicity and luxury. From the beginning, the gallery was intended to serve as a place with rich history and memories, instead of a new fresh gallery. Although Artside Gallery and Gallery Simon create completely different vibes, they both blend in well with the alleys of Tongui-dong.
Despite being a small gallery, Gallery Simon provides a spacious exhibition hall with a high ceiling. It used post-tension construction method* to remove interior pillars. Windows that face the staircase and lighting that illuminates the staircase are impressive. The gallery also has a cafe on the fourth floor where you can enjoy a beautiful view of Tongui-dong through a long window.
* Post-tension construction method: A method of producing pre-stressed concrete to increase tensile strength and withstand greater loads.
Gallery Simon
20, Jahamun-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Closed Sundays and Mondays/ Open Tue-Sat 10:30-18:00
There is an old and small dark red house with an inn sign, in front of Yeongchumun Gate. Next to the house, there is a new building which is taller and gives off similar vibes. They both belong to Boan1942, a place that serves as a cafe, a bookstore, a gallery as well as a guest house. The shorter building is a gallery which remodeled an old inn, which was built in 1942. Its old design and inn sign bring back your old memories and make you feel as if time is standing still.
It is also a place where famous Korean modern artists such as Seo Jeong-ju and Kim Dal-jin stayed for a long time and wrote Siin Burak. Famous writers and painters such as Lee Sang, Gu Bon-ung and Lee Jung-seop stayed in this inn as well. The second floor of the inn is connected to Boan Library in the new building. The new building has an exterior built with dark red bricks in tune with the streets of Tongui-dong, and it is about three meters further away from the road than the inn building. It was designed to blend well with the surrounding elements by Min Hyun-sik.
Boan1942
33, Hyoja-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Closed Mondays/ Open Tue-Sun 12:00 - 18:00
#Boan_Inn #Boan1942 #Jeoksan_House #Guesthouse
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Buildings and architecture form a city, and cities come together to form a country. And that’s why architecture reflects the history and culture of a city as a component of the city. Seoul X Archibear’s A Tour of Seoul’s Streetside Architecture was designed to provide a fresh perspective on the city by sharing the anecdotes of architectural culture while traveling around South Korea’s capital.
Well-built and distinctive architecture can serve as a piece of art carved in our city. And in Seoul, which is rich with diverse history and characteristics, there are beautiful buildings that are worth paying a visit. We hope that this special series helps promote Seoul as an ideal travel destination and invite everyone to experience the hidden architectural beauty in Seoul’s everyday life.
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